James



(No'Model.)

J. C. WATTERS.

- HAT AND CLOTHES RACK.

No. 245 897. Patented Aug.,16,1`881.

IL PETERs. Pmvmhognpmr. washington. BJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

JAMES C. WATTERS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN IVATTERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT AND CLOTHES RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,897, dated August 16, 1881.

i Application filed January 8, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, JAMES C. WA'ITERS, of the city of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga, in the State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hat and Clothes Racks, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to that class of hat and clothes racks in which crossed slats are pivoted at their intersections by pins, which project 1o in front for hanging hats or clothes upon,and which are adapted to be folded in the manner of lazy-tongs when not in use. These racks are suspended upon the wall, their manner of folding allowing of their length to be adjusted to suit the position they occupy.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved hat and clothes rack, the slats of which are made of thin iron or steel. Fig. 2 is an edge view of a plan of the same enlarged,

2o showing the manner of securing the pins in the intersections of the slats. Fig. 3 is a side eleva-tion of one of the pins, with a hook-washer interposed between the Slat-sections instead of the plain washer shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view from the front of a hook-washer detached.

In slatted folding racks, as heretofore constructed, both slats and pins are made of wood, and are liable in folding or unfolding to often 3o split the slats and spoil the frame, and as the pins are secured frequently to one of the crossed slats, so as to have it turn freely in the other, both the slat and pin are consequently liable to be split by the fastening-nail, which is driven through the slat and shank or journal of the pin to hold the latter in place. Besides the disadvantages cited in the present construction of the wooden-slatted folding racks, the crossed sections at their pivoted points 4o have their surfaces in direct contact, and are liable to rub and injure the polished surfaces of the slats around the pivot end of the pin at the point of their intersection and 1ap,thus depreciating the value and affecting materially the sale of the article after shipment, and frequent handling of the same by folding and unfolding for the purpose of exhibiting it for sale.

In my improved hat and clothes rack I obviate the various disadvantages related by 5o first constructing both the slats and pins of my improved rack of metal; second, by interposing between these metallic slats a washer of metal, which prevents all danger of abrasion about their pivoted points; third, I add materially to the invention by a further improvement, by inserting between the slats a combined washer and hook, the latter beinga hook-shaped extension of the former, which permits a double use of the rack for hanging articles upon these hooks, which, being in the same vertical plane with its pivots and points of support upon the wall, prevent by gravity any displacement of it, which often occurs when the pins project a considerable distance forward from its slatted frame and a heavy weight of clothing is hung thereon.

In the drawings, A is the rack, which has the crossed slats of metal (preferably of thin iron or steel) a a. These are pivoted upon the rear ends of the metal pins b, which are formed with a journal or pivot end and a shoulder tting against the front slat at the points of intersection. Between the slats at these points a metal washer, c, is interposed. 75 This prevents the slats from contacting their surfaces and allows easier flexion at the pivoted points. The plain washer, as seen in Fig. 5, is employed for the upper connections, and the combined washer and hook, as seen in Fig. 4, is preferably employed for the lower connections, substantially as shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings. This latter ad ds to the value ofthe rack, as it permits articles of greater weight to be hung upon the hooks in addition to those suspended upon the pins b. These latter, after extending through the two. lapped Slat-sections and the interposed washer between them, are riveted down upon the rear surface of the back slat, and are thus strongly secured, and at the same time allowing easy folding and unfolding of the rack.

In my improvement the slats are plated and polished, as well as the pins, which gives a finish. and beauty to the raclc of which the 95 common wooden rack is not susceptible. The

pins b me made malleable to allow of their bel upper points of intersection by the plain Wash- Io ing easily riveted. The hook-washer c can ers c c, and at their lower ends with the washalso be made malleable, and be finished in the ers o' c', which are provided with hooks c c", same manner. substantially as shown and described.

I elaini as my invention- 1 w 1 5 The improved rack Consisting ofthe slats JAMES (J WATTERb' a a, pivoted to each other at the points of in- Attest: terseetion by extensions on the pins b b, said B. C. CONVERSE, slats being` sepa-rated from each other at the JOHN VVATTERS. 

